Truck owners operating at nation’s ports have expressed divergent opinion over last week’s Memorandum of Understanding reached between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on the enforcement of Minimum Standard of Safety and Road Worthiness for all trucks entering the ports.
The NPA and FRSC had said that the collaboration was part of effort to put lasting solution to the gridlock along Oshodi-Apapa expressway and also free the ports access roads of all bottlenecks.
But while reacting to the development in Lagos last weekend, truck owners expressed divergent views, but warned the agencies under the Ministry of Transportation against any form of extortion by its personnel.
They recalled that monies paid last year for trucks standardisation and sticker permit made no positive impact.
Speaking with Auto Port Weekly, National Secretary, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi wanted the authorities to explain the rationale and yardstick for the exercise, which according to him, will give a better picture of how truckers should conduct themselves while driving.
He also asked if the NPA/FRSC MoU would sanitise the roads linking the seaports, noting that past efforts by government agencies had not yielded any fruitful result.
Another RTEAN chieftain, Comrade Ifeanyi Ekwunife said that the move was a welcome idea, but frowned at any monetary value that might be attached to it.
The RTEAN Chief recalled that the face -off between NPA and truck operators in the maritime industry over N10000 fee was has not been buried, because according to him, monies paid in that regard made to significant impact on truckers and port operations.
Ekwunife maintained that, ‘’it is a welcome development to the nature of our business and we must give the MD of NPA that commendation because it will help our business in so many ways ‘’
‘’But it will not go down well this time if the NPA or FRSC add any form of money to be paid by truckers because the previous N10000 truckers paid has no significant impact on port operations, the roads and even the operators’’.
‘’This time around, if any form of money will be paid in the process then I will advise them to rethink because the situation of the country is not friendly at all’’.
The RTEAN chieftain , however, argued that the move to commence enforcement on the standard of vehicles entering the seaports would help operators with good trucks carry out their business effectively because some sub-standard trucks will have no option, but to go off the expressway linking the ports across the country .
He however appealed to the agencies to put in place mechanism that would guide operators in order not to be caught on the wrong side of the law.
According to him, despite the March 1, 2017 commencement date , there is need to make the process a gradual thing ,considering the fact that some operators would like to repair their vehicles within a short notice by the government agencies.
Ekwunife stated that, ‘’we will also advise the government make it a gradual process because the notice is very short this time around considering the nature of the economy’’.
The Corp Marshal of FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi has also tasked owners of heavy duty trucks operating within and around the ports on the need to strictly adhere to the minimum standards in order to ensure safety of haulage operations.
Boboye at the signing of the MOU with NPA stated that the agency will enforce all aspect of the agreement adding that adequate and appropriate drivers education and speed limiter were vital and would therefore be enforced by his officers and men’s.
He also reiterated that from March 1, the field commands of the agency would be fully mobilised for enforcement of the law.
On his part Comrade Steven Omotayo Rotimi, a member of Association of Maritime Road Transport Owner (AMARTO) told our correspondent that truckers would hold a crucial meeting for the purpose of the agencies decision to enforce standard of trucks within the seaport premises.
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